Run the Hard Drive Test in the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics using the steps in this section. There are six hard drive tests. If you think there is a problem with the hard drive, first try the Quick Test (2 to 3 minutes). If the Quick Test does not find a problem, run the Extensive Test (2 hours or more) which also has a Loop Until Error option.

Hold the power button for at least five seconds to turn off the computer.

Turn on the computer and immediately press Esc repeatedly, about once every second. When the menu appears, press the F2 key.

Figure : System Diagnostics

The HP PC Hardware Diagnostics opens. On the main menu, click Component Tests.

Figure : Selecting Component Tests from the main menu

In the Component Tests menu, click Hard Drive.

Figure : Selecting Hard Drive from the Component Tests menu

In the Hard Drive Tests menu, click Quick Test.

Figure : Selecting the Hard Drive Quick Test

Click Run Once.

Figure : Running the Hard Drive Quick Test

The Hard Drive Quick Test begins. If the computer has more than one hard drive, select the drive you want to test. To test all the hard drives, select Test All Hard Drives.

When the test is complete, the results are displayed on the screen. Test results are also available in the Test Logs on the main menu.

If the hard drive passes the Quick Test, but there is still a problem with the hard drive, run the Extensive Test. This test includes the SMART Check, Short DST, Optimized DST, and Long DST. To run these tests individually, select them from the Hard Drive Tests menu.

If the hard drive fails one of the tests, write down the failure ID (24-digit code) so you have it available when you contact HP Customer Support. The information is also available in Test Logs on the main menu.